Teach-in/Rallyin support of public education

Thursday, February 1712:00 noon

Circle between MAC Hall and Union

Governor Walker’s proposed budget bill

• Public employee unions would be allowed to negotiate only on wages.

• Increases in wages for public employees would be capped at the consumer price index, and locals would have to go to referendum to exceed those limits.

• Public employee unions could no longer require dues, and employers could not collect them.

• State employees would be required to contribute 5 percent of their pay to their pension

• State employees would be required to pay 12 percent of their health care costs

• Faculty and academic staff in the UW System would lose their right to collectively bargain …even for wages

What is the argument?

Belief: Public employees need to “pay theirshare”

Fact: In the early 1980s, many public employees (including UW-System faculty and staff) agreed to pay freezes in exchange for a strong benefit package. Now the state wants to go back on its promise

Arguments?

Belief: Public workers earn more than private sector employees

Fact: A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute showed the following:

• Wisconsin public employees earn 4.8% less in total compensation per hour than comparable full-time employees in Wisconsin’s private sector.• Yet: Wisconsin public sector workers are on average

more highly educated than private sector workers

Arguments

Belief: Taxpayers are “footing the bill” for public employees and the UW-System

Fact: Less that 1/3 of the UW-System budget comes from tax-payer money. Even supporters of this legislation admit that it will do little to help the budget deficit and it will create no jobs.

Argument

Belief: UW-System faculty and staff are overpaid

Fact: Besides the fact that UW-System faculty and staff make less that in the private sector, a recent study by the state of Wisconsin found that system-wide, UW system salaries for faculty and staff lag their peers by nearly 10%.

Implications of this legislation

• Will make compensation for UW-System faculty and staff even less competitive than it is now, meaning:– High quality teachers and staff will leave– UW-System will not be able to attract or hire high

quality teachers and staff

Eliminate performance pay

• This legislation mandates that increases in wages for public employees would be capped at the consumer price index (in 2010 CPI = 1.8%; inflation rate in 2010 = 1.6%)

• In order to exceed that costly, state-wide referenda are required, meaning that citizens would have to vote whether faculty and staff receive merit raises even though 66% of the system budget does not come from taxpayers

Destroy unions and collective bargaining

• While many people oppose unions, consider the following list of what they have done for the American worker and why unions can be part of the solution to better the working conditions for Americans

Union accomplishments• An end to child labor• The 8-hour work day, the 40-hour work week, and paid overtime• Workers' compensation benefits for workers injured on the job• Unemployment insurance for workers who lose their jobs• Minimum wage• Improvements in workplace safety and fewer on-the-job fatalities• Pensions• Health care insurance• Paid sick leave, vacations, and holidays as standard benefits for most

workers• The Civil Right Acts and Title VII, which outlaws job discrimination based on

race, color, religion, sex, or national origin• The Occupational Safety and Health Act• The Family Medical Leave Act

Why should students care?• Wisconsin has had a nationally ranked and

nationally recognized public education system• This would decrease the quality of education • Will not attract high quality teachers to the

area to maintain the prestige of the Wisconsin educational system

• Wages for ALL employees will be at risk, resulting in brain-drain and higher unemployment

• Impoverishes the entire state

Teach-in/Rallyin support of public education

Thursday, February 1712:00 noon

Circle between MAC Hall and Union